100 Outsourcing Techniques
Outsourcing is one of the most powerful ways to reclaim your personal and professional time. By delegating tasks to freelancers or employees, you free yourself to focus on high-impact activities that only you can do—strategy, relationship building, and creative direction. But successful outsourcing isn't just about handing off work; it's about knowing which tasks to delegate, which traits to look for in the people you hire, and which red flags should make you walk away immediately. This comprehensive guide covers 100 specific roles you can outsource, the qualities that make someone right for each role, and the warning signs of a bad hire.
The Core Principle of Smart Outsourcing
Before diving into the list, understand the central philosophy: for every role, there is a clear profile of the ideal worker and an equally clear profile of the worker you should avoid. The best outsourcers are not just technically skilled; they possess the character traits that make them reliable, communicative, and pleasant to work with over the long term. The worst outsourcers drain your time with drama, missed deadlines, and poor communication. The framework below follows a consistent pattern for each of the 100 roles:
The task you can outsource
The traits your hire must have
The traits that should make you reject a candidate immediately
Administrative and Financial Roles (1–15)
1. Accounting
Hire: Accomplished and professional individuals who treat financial accuracy as non-negotiable.
Avoid: Irritable or absent-minded businesses that make careless errors with your numbers.
2. Administering
Hire: Accurate and positive workers who keep operations running smoothly.
Avoid: Jealous or abrasive employees who create friction in your team.
3. Affiliating (Affiliate Program Management)
Hire: Adaptable and prepared professionals who can pivot as your program evolves.
Avoid: Judgmental or abusive laborers who damage partner relationships.
4. Analyzing
Hire: Affordable and precise analysts who deliver insights without breaking your budget.
Avoid: Lascivious or accident-prone services that produce unreliable results.
5. Assembling
Hire: Alert and prepared people who catch errors before they compound.
Avoid: Lazy or aloof freelancers who miss critical details.
6. Assisting
Hire: Ambitious and proactive assistants who anticipate needs rather than waiting for instructions.
Avoid: Lethargic or angry people who drain your energy.
7. Auditing
Hire: Appreciative problem-solvers who approach audits as opportunities, not interrogations.
Avoid: Lewd or annoying outsourcers who make the process unpleasant.
8. Authoring
Hire: Assertive and productive writers who deliver clean copy on deadline.
Avoid: Maniacal or antisocial workers who can't collaborate.
9. Bartering
Hire: Attentive and proud professionals who negotiate fair exchanges.
Avoid: Manipulative or anxious businesses that create lopsided deals.
10. Blogging
Hire: Skilled and proven bloggers with a track record of engaging content.
Avoid: Masochistic or apathetic employees who produce lifeless posts.
11. Bookkeeping
Hire: Balanced and punctual bookkeepers who keep your finances organized.
Avoid: Materialistic or apologetic laborers who make excuses for errors.
12. Budgeting
Hire: Believable and qualified professionals who create realistic financial plans.
Avoid: Mean or apprehensive services that resist necessary spending.
13. Building
Hire: Blessed and quick-learning builders who adapt to your tools and processes.
Avoid: Melodramatic or argumentative freelancers who escalate small issues.
14. Cleaning
Hire: Calm and rational workers who handle physical or digital organization efficiently.
Avoid: Messy or arrogant people who leave chaos behind.
15. Coaching
Hire: Candid and realistic coaches who give honest feedback.
Avoid: Miserly or belligerent outsourcers who demotivate rather than inspire.
Technical and Creative Roles (16–30)
16. Coding
Hire: Capable and reasonable developers who write clean, maintainable code.
Avoid: Moody or bewildered workers who become defensive about feedback.
17. Collecting
Hire: Careful and receptive freelancers who handle accounts receivable with tact.
Avoid: Naive or bossy businesses that alienate your customers.
18. Constructing
Hire: Caring and relaxed professionals who take pride in their craftsmanship.
Avoid: Neurotic or calculating employees who overcomplicate simple builds.
19. Consulting
Hire: Charming and reliable consultants who build trust quickly.
Avoid: Nasty or callous laborers who dismiss your concerns.
20. Contacting
Hire: Clear and resilient communicators who persist through rejection.
Avoid: Non-committing or clumsy services that drop the ball on follow-ups.
21. Coordinating
Hire: Communicative and resourceful coordinators who keep projects on track.
Avoid: Obnoxious or cocky freelancers who alienate team members.
22. Copywriting
Hire: Competitive and respectful writers who craft persuasive, ethical copy.
Avoid: Obscene or compliant people who produce offensive or weak content.
23. Customizing
Hire: Composed and responsible professionals who tailor solutions precisely.
Avoid: Opinionated or compulsive outsourcers who ignore your specifications.
24. Decorating
Hire: Concentrated and responsive designers who translate your vision accurately.
Avoid: Ornery or conceited workers who impose their own taste.
25. Delivery
Hire: Confident and results-oriented people who ensure timely fulfillment.
Avoid: Overbearing or condescending businesses that mistreat customers.
26. Demonstrating
Hire: Content and safe presenters who make your product shine.
Avoid: Paranoid or confused employees who undermine confidence.
27. Developing
Hire: Cooperative and secure developers who thrive in team environments.
Avoid: Passive or controlling laborers who resist collaboration.
28. Drawing
Hire: Coordinated and selective artists who match your brand style.
Avoid: Perverted or cowardly services that produce inappropriate or timid work.
29. Educating
Hire: Courageous and supplied educators who come prepared with materials.
Avoid: Pessimistic or crafty freelancers who undermine learning.
30. Employing
Hire: Crafty and self-controlled professionals who help you build your team.
Avoid: Petty or cranky people who create hiring bottlenecks.
Marketing and Sales Roles (31–50)
31. Engineering
Hire: Creative and self-assured engineers who solve problems elegantly.
Avoid: Pompous or critical outsourcers who dismiss your constraints.
32. Exercising
Hire: Credible and self-aware professionals who model the discipline they teach.
Avoid: Presumptuous or crude workers who offend clients.
33. Editing
Hire: Curious and self-controlled editors who improve your work without stripping your voice.
Avoid: Pretentious or cruel businesses that demoralize your writers.
34. Experimenting
Hire: Decisive and self-directed testers who run controlled experiments.
Avoid: Prim or cunning employees who manipulate results.
35. Exporting
Hire: Dedicated and self-starting professionals who navigate logistics.
Avoid: Profane or cynical laborers who complain about challenges.
36. Financing
Hire: Dependable and sensible financial professionals who manage risk prudently.
Avoid: Promiscuous or daffy services that make reckless decisions.
37. Filming
Hire: Detailed and serious videographers who capture professional footage.
Avoid: Psychopathic or deceitful freelancers who misrepresent their capabilities.
38. Fixing
Hire: Determined and sincere troubleshooters who persist until problems are solved.
Avoid: Psychotic or defiant workers who refuse to follow instructions.
39. Forecasting
Hire: Devoted and sociable analysts who combine data with market intuition.
Avoid: Pushy or demanding outsourcers who substitute opinions for evidence.
40. Formulating
Hire: Driven and social professionals who create effective strategies.
Avoid: Rebellious or despicable people who undermine your authority.
41. Franchising
Hire: Eager and successful consultants who understand scaling.
Avoid: Reclusive or detached businesses that provide no ongoing support.
42. Granting
Hire: Educated and team-oriented professionals who manage permissions carefully.
Avoid: Remote or disagreeable employees who create access problems.
43. Handling
Hire: Efficient and temperate workers who manage operations with steady hands.
Avoid: Resentful or disgusting laborers who foster toxic environments.
44. Helping
Hire: Energetic and thankful assistants who genuinely enjoy supporting others.
Avoid: Reserved or dishonest people who hide problems until they escalate.
45. Hiring
Hire: Enthusiastic and thorough recruiters who find hidden talent.
Avoid: Righteous or disorganized freelancers who impose personal biases.
46. Hosting
Hire: Ethical and thrifty hosts who create welcoming environments affordably.
Avoid: Rowdy or distant people who fail to engage guests.
47. Implementing
Hire: Experienced and tolerant professionals who execute plans faithfully.
Avoid: Rude or distraught outsourcers who crumble under pressure.
48. Importing
Hire: Fair and trainable workers who navigate customs and regulations.
Avoid: Ruthless or dogmatic businesses that cut corners illegally.
49. Incorporating
Hire: Faithful and understanding professionals who handle legal formation.
Avoid: Sadistic or domineering services that exploit your lack of knowledge.
50. Increasing Sales
Hire: Fast and unique salespeople who close deals creatively.
Avoid: Sarcastic or dowdy employees who repel customers.
Operations and Quality Control (51–70)
51. Inspecting
Hire: Focused and unselfish inspectors who prioritize quality over speed.
Avoid: Sassy or downtrodden laborers who rush through checks.
52. Installing
Hire: Frugal and versatile installers who work with what you have.
Avoid: Self-absorbed or dull services that ignore your specific setup.
53. Instructing
Hire: Generous and conscious teachers who share knowledge freely.
Avoid: Self-conscious or dumb freelancers who can't explain concepts clearly.
54. Interviewing
Hire: Good listeners with reliable transportation who conduct thorough interviews.
Avoid: Self-effacing or egocentric people who dominate conversations.
55. Inventing
Hire: Good workers with references who bring creative solutions.
Avoid: Self-righteous or egotistic outsourcers who can't accept feedback.
56. Investing
Hire: Gracious professionals who show samples of their analytical work.
Avoid: Selfish or embittered workers who make decisions out of spite.
57. Joint Venturing
Hire: Grateful partners with strong testimonials who value win-win outcomes.
Avoid: Senile or emotional businesses that act impulsively.
58. Laboring
Hire: Happy and skillful workers who take pride in physical or repetitive tasks.
Avoid: Shallow or excessive laborers who cut corners.
59. Launching
Hire: Helpful and talented professionals who execute launches methodically.
Avoid: Sheepish or excitable freelancers who panic under deadlines.
60. Legalizing
Hire: Honest and attractive services that handle compliance transparently.
Avoid: Shy or extravagant people who hide fees or complications.
61. Managing
Hire: Hopeful and presentable managers who inspire teams.
Avoid: Silent or fanatical outsourcers who impose rigid ideologies.
62. Manufacturing
Hire: Hospitable and rule-following manufacturers who deliver consistent quality.
Avoid: Silly or fatalistic businesses that accept defects as inevitable.
63. Marketing
Hire: Humble and diverse marketers who test multiple channels.
Avoid: Simple or finicky employees who reject proven strategies.
64. Masterminding
Hire: Humorous professionals who interview well and facilitate productive sessions.
Avoid: Sloppy or flippant workers who waste participants' time.
65. Meetings
Hire: Imaginative professionals with neat applications who run efficient meetings.
Avoid: Sluggish or flustered businesses that lose control of agendas.
66. Monitoring
Hire: Important and observant monitors who catch issues early.
Avoid: Sneaky or fragile employees who hide problems or break under criticism.
67. Motivating
Hire: Independent and strong-nerved motivators who energize teams.
Avoid: Snobby or frigid laborers who alienate those they should inspire.
68. Negotiating
Hire: Informed and knowledgeable negotiators who secure fair deals.
Avoid: Spiteful or frustrated services that burn bridges.
69. Networking
Hire: Initiative-taking professionals with accurate resumes who build genuine connections.
Avoid: Squeamish or gaudy freelancers who prioritize appearance over substance.
70. Optimization
Hire: Insightful professionals who demonstrate perceived value in their work.
Avoid: Stern or gloomy people who resist testing new approaches.
Content and Communication Roles (71–85)
71. Organizing
Hire: Inspired professionals with good ratings who create logical systems.
Avoid: Stingy or grandiose outsourcers who overcomplicate simple structures.
72. Planning
Hire: Professionals with integrity and time management skills who create realistic plans.
Avoid: Stoical or greedy workers who hoard information.
73. Promoting
Hire: Intelligent professionals with mental stamina who sustain promotional campaigns.
Avoid: Straight-laced or grotesque businesses that produce tone-deaf promotions.
74. Programming
Hire: Interested risk-takers who explore innovative solutions.
Avoid: Strict or haggard employees who refuse to adapt to new technologies.
75. Proofreading
Hire: Goal-oriented and idea-driven proofreaders who catch errors others miss.
Avoid: Stubborn or hateful laborers who argue about corrections.
76. Publicizing
Hire: Leadership-oriented and kind publicists who build your reputation.
Avoid: Submissive or hesitant services that fail to pitch aggressively.
77. Publishing
Hire: Likable and graceful publishers who handle your content with care.
Avoid: Surly or hypocritical freelancers who impose double standards.
78. Purchasing
Hire: Logical and effort-taking buyers who find the best value.
Avoid: Suspicious or hysterical people who second-guess every decision.
79. Researching
Hire: Dedicated and disciplined researchers who dig deeper than surface level.
Avoid: Temperamental or ignorant outsourcers who miss critical context.
80. Repositioning
Hire: Loyal and drug-free professionals who refresh your brand strategy.
Avoid: Tense or immature workers who can't handle constructive criticism.
81. Scheduling
Hire: Manageable and conventional schedulers who keep your calendar conflict-free.
Avoid: Tentative or immodest businesses that overpromise and underdeliver.
82. Securing
Hire: Mature and systematic security professionals who protect your assets.
Avoid: Timid or impatient employees who rush through security protocols.
83. Selling
Hire: Methodical and motivated salespeople who follow a proven process.
Avoid: Traitorous or impudent laborers who badmouth your company.
84. Shipping
Hire: Neat and practical workers who handle logistics efficiently.
Avoid: Trivial or incoherent services that lose track of orders.
85. Social Networking
Hire: Professionals with good self-esteem who engage authentically.
Avoid: Tyrannical or incompetent freelancers who damage your brand voice.
Strategic and Specialized Roles (86–100)
86. Starting Businesses
Hire: Obedient and hard-working professionals who execute your vision.
Avoid: Unapproachable or inconsiderate people who ignore your input.
87. Streamlining
Hire: Objective and involved analysts who simplify without sacrificing quality.
Avoid: Uncommunicative or indecisive outsourcers who stall progress.
88. Supplying
Hire: Open-minded and systematic suppliers who maintain consistent inventory.
Avoid: Uneasy or indifferent workers who treat your business as an afterthought.
89. Synchronizing
Hire: Optimistic and selfless professionals who align multiple moving parts.
Avoid: Unmotivated or indiscreet businesses that leak sensitive information.
90. Teaching
Hire: Orderly and goodwilled teachers who create structured learning experiences.
Avoid: Unprofessional or inept employees who confuse rather than educate.
91. Testing
Hire: Organized professionals with faith in others who run rigorous tests.
Avoid: Unreasonable or infantile laborers who throw tantrums over bugs.
92. Tracking
Hire: Original and cheerful trackers who maintain accurate records.
Avoid: Unscrupulous or inhibited services that falsify data.
93. Transcribing
Hire: Out-going and aspiring transcribers who deliver accurate, timely work.
Avoid: Vain or inhumane freelancers who prioritize appearance over accuracy.
94. Delegating
Hire: Passionate and authoritative professionals who manage sub-teams effectively.
Avoid: Vengeful or insecure people who undermine those they manage.
95. Transforming
Hire: Patient and considerate change agents who guide transitions smoothly.
Avoid: Verbose or insensitive outsourcers who overwhelm rather than help.
96. Targeting
Hire: Perceptive and courteous professionals who identify ideal customer profiles.
Avoid: Vindictive or insulting workers who alienate potential markets.
97. Troubleshooting
Hire: Perfectionist and enduring problem-solvers who never give up.
Avoid: Vulgar or intimidating businesses that make you dread calling for help.
98. Updating
Hire: Persistent and modest workers who keep your systems current.
Avoid: Vulnerable or intolerant employees who resist necessary changes.
99. Writing
Hire: Persuasive and sensitive writers who adapt tone to audience.
Avoid: Wicked or introverted laborers who can't meet deadlines.
100. Web Designing
Hire: Polite and willing designers who collaborate until you're satisfied.
Avoid: Withdrawn or irresponsible services that disappear mid-project.
How to Use This Framework Effectively
These 100 techniques are not just a checklist—they are a decision-making framework. Before hiring for any role:
Define the task clearly. Know exactly what outcome you want before you post a job.
Screen for the positive traits. Use interview questions and sample tasks to test for the qualities listed.
Watch for the red flags. The negative traits listed are deal-breakers. If you see them early, trust the signal and move on.
Start with a small paid test. Before committing to a large project, give a candidate a small, paid task to evaluate their work quality and communication style.
Build long-term relationships. When you find someone who matches the positive profile, invest in that relationship. Consistent, reliable outsourcers are worth their weight in gold.
Conclusion
Outsourcing is not about replacing yourself—it's about multiplying yourself. By systematically delegating the right tasks to the right people and avoiding the wrong hires, you reclaim your time for the work that truly drives your business forward. These 100 techniques provide a complete map of what can be outsourced and the human qualities that make outsourcing succeed or fail. Use them as your hiring compass, and you'll build a team that amplifies your impact rather than draining your energy.
